10 Things You Need To Know Before Black Friday And Pre-Black Friday Sales, According To A Consumer Savings Expert
Thanksgiving is right around the corner — which means Black Friday sales and holiday shopping frenzy will soon be here too. But after a few years of higher prices, it feels a little extra hard to tell if you're really getting a good deal.
To find out how shoppers can truly save in 2023, I turned to Andrea Woroch. She's a consumer savings expert, and you may have seen her sharing money-saving tips on shows like Today and Good Morning America.
She gave me 10 helpful tips for finding the best deals during Black Friday pre-sales, on the day itself, and into the new year. Here's what she had to say:
1.Just like you shouldn't go to the grocery store when you're hungry, don't head out to the mall on Black Friday without a gameplan.
Woroch reccommends sitting down before you shop and making a list of everyone you're shopping for with some ideas of what you might want to get for them.
She explains, "Now you know who you are shopping for, you can create your shopping game plan by comparing Black Friday ads using an app like Flipp to see which stores have the best deals for the gifts on your list. Take note of the day and time that a specific deal will launch so you don't miss it."
She recommends Flipp because you can, "Add items to Flipp’s 'Watch List' feature to get notified when a deal becomes available for a specific gift on your shopping list."
2.Look at historical pricing data to determine if those Black Friday "deals" are really as good as they seem.
If you've shopped at all in the last few years, you've probably noticed that retailers change prices on items pretty often. So how can you know if you're really getting a good deal?
Woroch says, "To determine if a Black Friday sale is a good deal, check the product’s historical pricing data using tools like Camelizer.
Comparing prices is also crucial since you never know which retailer may be offering a deeper discount that day. Download PriceBlink for instant price comparison when you are shopping online or use the ShopSavvy app to compare deals in store."
3.Popular toys that might sell out and tech tend to be some of the best purchases during the sales leading up to Black Friday (and on the big day itself).
Woroch says these are some of the best Black Friday buys, explaining, "Hot holiday toys that are likely to sell out, small kitchen gadgets, vacuums and personal gadgets are a good deal during early Black Friday sales."
"The best discounts on big screen TVs and laptops will hit on actual Black Friday when you can expect deals from top brands like Samsung, HP and Apple."
4.But there are some items that you're probably better off waiting to buy.
If you're looking to treat yourself to a little style upgrade, Woroch says, "Hold off on beauty, footwear and clothing as prices are historically cheaper during Cyber Monday."
And if you're planning to splurge on plane tickets, she suggests waiting as well. "For the best deals on airfare, hotels and car rentals, shop Travel Deal Tuesday on Tues., Nov. 28."
She continues, saying, "Generally, most toys go on sale for even more off the last two weeks leading up to Christmas and holiday decorations as well as winter apparel like coats and boots are a better deal right before (or after) Christmas."
Craving an extra cozy bedroom upgrade? Woroch says, "If you can wait to update your linens and bedding, you can enjoy deeper discounts during January's White Sale events."
5.A lot of stores will let you stack coupons for even bigger savings.
I love when you can get a deal on top of a deal, and Woroch suggests, "Check for coupons by store name through deal aggregators like CouponCabin.com or review the best Black Friday coupons in one place to find extra savings quickly."
She says you can also get coupons directly from retailers themselves by, "Signing up for a store’s email or text alerts may get you an additional 10 to 20% off. Remember, you can always opt out once you receive the discount code."
6.And don't forget to get all the cash back you can.
Woroch suggests, "Use browser tools like Sidekick to get up to 25% cashback from thousands of retailers during Black Friday sales. You can also earn free gift cards to stores like Target and Amazon by scanning receipts using a cash back app like Fetch."
Personally, I love using Rakuten along with my cash-back credit card to get money back whenever I shop.
If you choose to go the credit card route, just be sure you don't spend more than you can pay off before the due date. Interest charges and fees will more than eat up any cash back you get if you wind up carrying a balance.
7.You might find even more deals by following brands on social media.
Woroch says this tip works particularly well if you're planning to shop smaller brands or local stores. "Following or liking brands or stores on social media will help you track sales and limned-time deals plus get you exclusive savings. Sometimes you can get 10 to 20% off and I see this offered with small independent stores often, like your local clothing boutique."
8.Retailer apps can also be a great source for savings if you shop a particular store often.
While I wouldn't download every single store app, Woroch says that some of them can give you access to exclusive deals. As an example, she shares, "The Target Circle app will help you find in-store savings such as coupons for specific products or category savings, money off a certain purchase amount like 20% off $50 in toy purchases or gift card with purchase (I've received a free $5 coupon after spending $15 on home good purchases, deals like that). I also like that I can check the online price using the Target barcode scanner and customer service will match the online price at check out if it's cheaper."
9.Rebate deals can look good on the surface, but a lot of people don't follow through on all the steps it takes to get the deal.
Worch advises, "You have to ask yourself if you're really going to mail in the rebate to get money back or if you can even fulfill the requirements like cutting out the UPC barcode which isn't really an option for gift items."
If that rebate deal isn't looking so hot any more, she suggests, "Instead, shop around other stores to see if you can get an instant discount even if it isn't as good of a deal that the rebate offered. You can still earn a reward on your purchase by using one of the cash back apps I mention above like Fetch instead to sweeten the deal!"
10.Finally, let's talk about doorbusters. These are deals tailored to very specific in-store items, designed to bring shoppers in to brick and mortar locations.
Doorbusters can be very tempting, but Woroch says there are two things you need to know about them. First, she says, "Some doorbusters are limited in quantity so unless you're among the first to get in the store, you may not get your hands on them."
Additionally, she says that some doorbusters are simply not great products. "Some doorbusters are made specifically for Black Friday in order to keep the price cheap and thus missing key component and features or made of inferior quality when it comes to clothing, accessory or a home good.
Do your research to make the model was sold all year long by checking reviews and look at all the details to make sure it has what you want and need or you may end up replacing it sooner and spending more in the long run."
Are you planning to shop the Black Friday sales this year? Tell us about your strategy for getting the very best deals in the comments!